Saul entered the cave looking for a private place to relieve himself. He would have soiled his britches if he knew that the men he pursued were hidden in the far recesses of the same cave, his latrine now a trap.

While he did his business, David crept forward and cut off a corner of his robe. After leaving the cave, Saul heard the voice of the man he hated over his shoulder. My Lord the King! The Lord delivered you into my hands in the cave…but I spared you!

Overwhelmed, Saul wept and commended David, then left him alone. At least for the moment. Before long, Saul chased David through the wilderness again.

In that cave, with a sharp knife in hand, hardened men at his left and right, his pursuer vulnerable before him, David showed Saul mercy. He did so trusting the Lord, with the hope that the Lord would decide between them. Only God possessed the right to judgement in this case, not David or Saul.

I think about this through the eyes of Saul. Realizing David spared his life, Saul changed his perspective. Truth broke through, and Saul saw David clearly for an instant. But over the next few weeks, this insight faded. Saul saddled up once again to pursue and kill the outlawed hero.

While I like to see myself as David in this story, a man of integrity and mercy, I have an uneasy sense that I’m often more like Saul.

I wonder – where have I received mercy, only to let my gratitude seep away?

Photo by Ksenia Kudelkina

1 Samuel 24 in week eighteen of reading the Bible cover to cover